How does the microphone on a MacBook not cause feedback?

Question

On a MacBook, I can be in a Zoom Meeting and speak into the MacBook Mic, while also listening to the meeting via the MacBook speakers. How is it possible for the mic to only receive my voice (and not also the sound of the meeting coming out of the speakers)?

In: 2763

Answer 1

As others have said, this is done electronically.

But I’d like to point out that there’s also a mechanical way of doing something similiar to get a directional microphone. You simply leave the back of the microphone open. This way, ambient noise will press on the microphones membrane from all sides, and cancel out.

But if you speak to one side of the microphone, those sound waves will only push on ine side of the membrane and be detected.